Improvement in solar-cameras



JOSEPH H. DlL-LE & E. w. Posrew.

Improvement in Solar Cameras. N0. 125,030. Patented March26,1872\vmamas. frzveiziom,

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'rn'rns PATENT JOSEPH H. DILLE AND ELISHA W. POSTON, OF FORT WAYNE,INDIANA,

ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, JOHN A. SHOAFF, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOLAR-CAMERAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,030, dated March26, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH II. DILLE and ELISHA \V. PUS'ION, of FortWayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Heliostats; and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, in which like letters refer to like parts inthe different figures.

To enable others skilled in the arts to make and use our invention, wewillp'roceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the east side and south end of thatportion of the apparatus known as the movement with camerabox detached.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the west side and south end of same withcamera-box attached.

The nature of our invention consists in the arrangement and constructionof a series of mechanical devices which will, when in operation,automatically present the surface of a mirror so as to reflect the solarrays, when visible, at all hours of the day and at all seasons of theyear in a direction parallel to the axis of the earth. Our inventionmore particularly relates, first, to a combination of devices whichautomatically operate the mirror, and present its surface to the solarrays during the day, in relation to the suns apparent movement from eastto west; second, to a combination of devices for the purpose ofautomatically regulating the movement of the mirror to the northern andsouthern declinations of the sun.

P represents a main axle, which is positioned so as to extend parallelwith the axis of the earth from the interior of the room where it issituated through a suitable aperture in the north wall thereof to themirror D, which is situated on the outside of the building. This axle issupported in suitable bearings, as seen in the drawing. B represents aspring, which is secured to the frame-work of the apparatus, and isconnected to axle P, as seen in Fig. 1, by means of cord f. The tensionof said "earth, and so that it can perform only one-half of arevolution. Said pivots E E are so positioned as to come in an exactline with the direction of axle G, and their centers must be exactly ona line with the reflecting surface. Said axle receives its motion fromaxle P by means of wire band T and pulleys U and S, one of which is'secured to the outer end of axle P and the other on rocking-axle 0, aswill be seen in Fig. 1.

The operation of this part of our apparatus is as follows: Mirror D isso adjusted by adjusting-key t that its surface will receive the solarrays soon alter sunrise and reflect them in the desired direction-thatis, in a direction exactly parallel to the earths axis. In so doing themirror is revolved to a position having an eastern exposure at thedesired angle. This adjustment has the effect to revolve axle P in thenecessary direction to wind cord f around said axle, as seen in Fig. 1.The apparatus is now ready for operation. The spring It exerts its forceon the axle P and causes it to rotate in the desired direction. Thismotion is imparted to the rocking axle G, which in its movement revolvesthe mirror, keeping exact pace with the sun from east to west, andcontinuously presenting, by the aid of a device which will behereinafter described, its surface to the solar rays at the desiredangle. The speed of the movement is adjusted and governed solely by theclock-work Z.

The second part of our invention, consisting of the adjustment of themirror to the northern and southern declination of the sun, is describedas follows: 0 represents an axle, which passes through hollow axle P,and which is provided with a hand-crank, V, at its inner extremity and apulley, N, at its outer end. This axle is used to impart a rotary motionto pulley L on screw-axle K by means of wire band M. Said axle K is alsoadjusted so as to be parallel to the earths axis. A ri gh t-handed screwis cut on said axle consistingot' one hundred and eightytwo and one-halfthreads, corresponding exactly to the number of days embraced in theperiod of time occupied by the sun in traversingfro'm its extremenorthern to its extreme southern declination-ti) at is, from June 21 toDecember 21. H represents a nut which is designed to traverse said screwK while the apparatus is in operation. To the upper side of this nut anarm, F, is hinged. Said arm extends to, and is hinged to, back ofmirror, as

seen in the drawing. The mirror being a djusted so as to reflect thesolar rays as desired for August 1 in the morning, then the apparatus isput in motion. The revolving of the mirror during the day also causesnut H to revolve in the same ratio, screw K at the same time remainingstationary. This semi-revolution, so performed by said nut, causes it totraverse said screw toward the mirror, and thus gradually shift theangle of the plane of the mirror to correspond with the exactdeclinatiou of the sun at every period of time during the entire day. Onthe succeeding day the mirror may be adjusted by the clock-work, asbefore described, by revolving the mirror back to face the east; thenhand-crank V may then receive exactly one revolution, which willtraverse nut H toward the mirror, as before, the space of one thread, adistance which corresponds exactly to the suns declination for one day;and the mirror is constantly adjusted so as to reflect the solar raysexactly in the direction that they were reflected on the daypreviousthat is, parallel with the earths axis; and the apparatus willwork through the day, as before, without further attention. When the sunis at its extreme southern declinat1on that is, on the 21st of December,the operator may remove right-handed screw K and nut H and substitute aleft-hand screw and nut havin g exactly the same lead. The position ofthe nut on the screw should be such as would adjust the mirror to the21st of December. When this is done the operation may be continued dailyto the 21st of June, during which time said nut will traverse back overthe screw to'the point where the first nut started on the other screw,as will be readily under stood.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Supporting and operating mirror D by the combined means of rockingaxle O and arms 13, together with nut H, arm F, and screw-axle K, thewhole being constructed, regulated, and operated in the manner and forthe purpose substantially as described.

2. We claim, as a means of adjusting the position of the mirror foroperation from one day to another, the adjusting-keyi and axle P havinga pulley, S, in combination with the axle 0 having a pulley, N, the samebeing arranged, combined, and operated in the manner and for the purposesubstantially as described.

JOS. H. DILLE. ELISHA \V. POSTON.

Attest W. J KERR, H. F. WILLsON.

